Mania Moves to Anaheim : Baseball: Angels sign Fernando Valenzuela, who will begin a trip back to the majors at Palm Springs.

Fernando Valenzuela, released by the Dodgers in March, signed a one-year contract with the Angels on Monday and will start in a Class-A California League game at Palm Springs Wednesday.

Under the terms of the contract, the 30-year-old left-hander will make a specified number of minor-league starts--probably three--before joining the Angels, whose five-man rotation already left-handers Mark Langston, Jim Abbott and Chuck Finley.

Right-handers Kirk McCaskill and rookie Scott Lewis also are in the rotation.

“I hope this is the beginning of a new chapter in the Fernando Valenzuela legacy,” Angel president Richard Brown said.

Brown refused to disclose the value of the contract, but said it includes several incentives.

“If we bring him up, that’s when the incentives will kick in,” Brown said. “If he has a good year, he’ll make a lot of money.”

The Angels have the option to renew the contract in 1992.

Valenzuela spent 11 seasons with the Dodgers, compiling a 141-116 record and 3.31 earned-run average. He was cut on March 28 after going 1-2 with a 7.87 ERA in exhibitions.

In 1990, he was 13-13 with a 4.59 ERA and pitched his first no-hitter.

“Hopefully, Fernando will fit right in with the other excellent players on the staff,” Manager Doug Rader said. “It doesn’t matter if they’re left- or right-handed. The thing I admire most is productivity and he certainly showed that with the Dodgers. Hopefully, he’s got plenty left for us.”

An obvious target for a job would be that of Lewis, who is struggling with a 1-4 record and 6.21 ERA.

The Dodgers paid Valenzuela $630,495 in termination salary, releasing him before having to pay his full salary of $2.55 million.